Kelim - Chapter 7

At which point does a leather k'li become susceptible to ritual impurity?

A shepherd's satchel - From the time its edges are folded over and sealed close to make a border, one trims the tiny pieces that project beyond the leather, and makes straps with which it could be closed.

A leather mat - When its borders are trimmed and its ornament is made.

A leather bedsheet - When its borders are sealed and trimmed.

A leather pillow or cushion - When its borders are sealed and the strands that emerge are trimmed. Similar laws apply in all analogous situations.

Tefillin - When one finishes the cube. Even though one will later add the strap, it is susceptible to impurity at this stage.

A leather base for a cradle for which loops will be made - When those loops are made.

A sandal - When its leather will be bent over.

A shoe - When it is placed on its mold. If, in the future, one will color it yellow and make designs, it is not susceptible to impurity until one colors it and makes designs.

When a hide does not have the shape of a k'li, it is not susceptible to impurity. Therefore a leather hand-covering which people who gather thorns tie around their hands so that they will not be wounded by a thorn is not susceptible to impurity, for it is a simple hide and it does not have the form of a k'li. Similarly, a hide used to collect cow turds, a hide used to muzzle the mouth of an animal, a hide used to chase away bees when gathering honey, and a hide used as a fan because of the heat are pure and are not susceptible to impurity.

All finger-coverings of leather are pure except those of fruit reapers. They are impure, because they are used to collect sumach berries. If they are torn and cannot hold the major portion of a sumach berry, they are pure.

Leather belts and the pieces of leather amputees place on their stumps so they can walk on them on the ground are susceptible to impurity, because they have the form of a k'li. Similarly, leather rings which craftsmen place on their arms to hold up their garments to prevent them from interfering with them during their work are susceptible to impurity like other simple leather keilim.

When a piece of leather is sewn to cover the hands and the arms of those who winnow grainheaps, travelers, or those who make flax, it is susceptible to ritual impurity. If it is used by painters or blacksmiths, it is not susceptible to impurity.

This is the general principle: Anything that is made as a receptacle, to protect one from thorns, or so that one will have a good grip is susceptible to impurity. Anything that is made as protection against sweat, i.e., so that the article with which one is working not be ruined because of the sweat of one's hands is not susceptible to impurity.

How large must a hole in a leather k'li be for it to be pure? A carrying case for food - when its hole is large enough for a ball of the warp thread to fall through. If it cannot contain the warp, but it does contain the woof, it is susceptible to impurity unless the hole comprises the majority of the container.

The following laws apply when a drinking pouch was made from the hide of an animal, the scrotum was often left and was used as part of the container. If it was opened, it is pure, because it cannot contain liquids in the ordinary manner.

When leather keilim have loops and straps - e.g., sandals worn on flat land or a pouch tied close with a strand - even though when they are untied, they do not have the shape of a k'li, they are still susceptible to impurity in that state. The rationale is that even an ordinary person can insert the strands in the loops and return the k'li to its previous shape. Similarly, if they contracted impurity and the straps were removed from them and their shape was undone, they are pure even though it is possible to restore them without a craftsman's activity.

Although the strands from a pouch closed by strands have been removed, it is still susceptible to impurity, because it can still serve as a container. If it was straightened out and returned to the form of a simple piece of leather, it is pure. If one attached a hook from which it could be hung from below, it is susceptible to impurity even when it is straightened out, because it has the form of a k'li.

A piece of leather used to wrap an amulet is susceptible to impurity. If one straightens it out, it is pure. If one uses it again to wrap an amulet, it is susceptible to impurity. It can become impure and pure, even ten times during a day.

The parchment on which one writes an amulet is pure. If one cut of a piece and made a ring to use it as an ornament, it is susceptible to impurity.

The head tefillin is considered as four separate containers. Should it contract impurity from a human corpse and one remove the first compartment and then restore it, it is still a primary source of impurity as it was. This ruling also applies if one removes the second compartment and restores it. If one removed the third and restored it and removed also the fourth and restored it, the entire tefillin is considered a primary derivative of impurity. For he removed each one of them and then restored them all, thus it is as if this "second" tefillin touched the original tefillin.

If he then removed the first compartment a second time and then restored it, the tefillin remains a primary derivative as before. This ruling also applies if one also removed the second and the third compartments. If one removed also the fourth compartment and then restored the tefillin, it is entirely pure. For a primary derivative of impurity does not impart impurity to articles, because it is a derivative itself, as we explained.

Similarly, when a sandal was impure because of contact with a zav or the like and one of its pegs was detached and it was repaired, it is still impure as before. If the other one also became detached and he repaired it, the sandal is purified from the impurity, because it has new pegs. It is, however, impure due to contact with an article that is impure because of contact with a zav. If he did not repair the first until the second was detached, the heel or the toe of the sandal was removed, or it was divided in two, it is pure.

When do tefillin that have contracted impurity become pure again? The arm tefillin - when it is released from the base on three sides. The head tefillin - when it is released from the base on three sides and each of the compartments are separated from each other.

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